El Maguey Mexican Restaurant

(Above is embedded slideshow. See below for direct link.)

Review Type
Full

Taco Shop Name
El Maguey Mexican Restaurant

Taco Shop Address
31481 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA
(949) 493-8681

Date of Review
3/13/2009

Food Selection and Price
2 tacos, rice, beans, $6.30

Video Review on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoVRd6hcgiw
Same as video embedded below, but higher quality.

Images at Picasa Web
El Maguey Review Images
Same images as those above, but higher quality.

Review
El Maguey is close to my home, but I'd never been to it. It's really off the beaten path. I've been to the Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano many times, but never ventured just a bit past the church to see El Maguey. When you pull into the small parking lot, it's kind of like you're in a little strip mall in the middle of nowhere. Kind of a cool feeling. Like stepping back in time or some old place in Palm Springs or Mexico.

Anyway, onto the experience. There are two physical entrances to El Maguey, one for the taco shop side and one for the full-service dining room. I didn't know this at first. Had I known, I may have chosen not to review it at all, since full-service restaurants are beyond the scope of the Taco Shop Review. Well, we entered on the taco shop side. It's across the lot from some kind of general purpose food/grocery/cellphone/calling card/check-cashing shop that is all protected with metal bars (like they get robbed a lot or something).

When my wife and I went in, we had to wait for some lady being indecisive about ordering a flan cake or something. Since that occurred for at least 10 minutes, it gave us time to look around and take some pictures. The place is really clean, with tables along one wall of windows. It's quaint, not cheesy at all, and stripped of anything lame. Basically, a counter and a few tables. Quite sparce. Just the way I like it. So, we're off to a good start (except for the attached dinning room). BTW, the taco shop and full-service dining room share the same kitchen.

Their TV was tuned into Spanish soap operas (novelas?), complete of large-busted women wearing next to nothing...typical novela fare. There is a popsical refrigerator containing cold deserts by a brand called Michoacan (though my wife noticed they are made in someplace like Los Angeles). I sat down for a bit and took some interior pictures. It was comfortable, quiet, and warm (the sun coming through the windows).

The menu didn't actually show a "2 hardshell tacos, rice, and beans" combo, so I had to ask for this. She said it's on the dining room menu, but that I could still order it. She confirmed that they make their own corn tortillas and cook them in house for hard shell tacos. So I did. My wife bought fish tacos. The young lady who took our order was very nice and accommodating. El Maguey must cook to order, since we waited about 15 minutes after placing the order. I took some outdoor pictures. During this time, an armored truck came and made some type of transaction at the unknown store across the lot.

We finally get on the road to go home and eat. My wife started to eat the fish tacos while driving and I took a bite. "Wow", I exclaimed, "this is killer." The fish taco had a mix of ingredients that resulted in a very unique, and great, flavor. I still can't figure it out.

So, at home, I finally start eating my 2-tacos-rice-and-beans. "Wow", I exclaimed, "this is killer." Yes, I said that again (or something like it, check the video). Seriously, everything from the thick corn tortilla (not double, but single) to the insanely great tasting, mega-tender, shredded beef to the rice and beans had simply astounding flavor. Much like the flavor of the fish taco, I cannot put my finger on it. I'm sure they guard the recipe, since I've not experienced this kind of flavor at another taco shop.

Wondering what "El Maguey" is, I looked it up on wikipedia. It says "The Century Plant or Maguey (Agave americana) is an agave originally from Mexico..." One use is described as "Maguey is the century plant, a succulent from which the Mexican alcoholic beverage called pulque is derived." I'll have to see if El Maguey makes this alcoholic beverage. Another use of Maguey, per web references, is using the leaves to wrap up food while cooking, or slow roasting. This leads me to believe this restaurant might use some similar method to make their ultra-tender, ultra-flavorful shredded beef that just melts in your mouth.

Food recipes that involved maguey leaves:
http://www.mexconnect.com/en/articles/2189-maguey-leaf-wrapped-cooking-mixiotes
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4108326

Below is embedded youtube video. See above for direct link.